'Family,' high school teacher skein in the works

Fox is close to giving a formal pilot greenlight to “Related by Family,” a half-hour laffer from Paramount-based Fresco. Skein would revolve around a pair of offbeat teen siblings with very different personalities who end up living with one another.

Pilot has been in the works for most of the year at Fox on a cast-contingent basis. Par has cast relative newcomer Zachary Knighton (“The Mudge Boy”) in a lead role, which would appear to lift the cast contingency. Fresco, who wrote the pilot after last winter’s cancellation of “Andy Richter,” will exec produce.

As casting was under way on “Related by Family,” Fresco came up with another comedy project designed as a vehicle for Black. ABC is developing a script for the laffer, about high school as seen through the eyes of teachers and a principal, for fall 2004 consideration.

Black has been a regular commentator on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” serving up cranky comedy since 1996. He’s also a veteran standup comic and starred in his own Off Broadway show, “Black Humor.” He also appeared in films such as “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Hannah and Her Sisters.”

In addition to “Andy Richter,” Fresco, who’s repped by Ted Chervin of BWCS, created ABC laffer “The Trouble With Normal.” Other credits include “Mad About You,” “Evening Shade” and “Fired Up.”